Messages - BoRNnTHeUSA

How come I had a Pen Pal from Finland that came to visit and stayed a month?How come we lost contact and I wish I could find her?How come her name is so common in Finland?How come I still have all her letters?

Detroit Mercy has been going way-out to improve its cellar U.S. News & World Report's reputation. Also, in Summer '07 there was another article: "A first-time dean and Harvard Law grad, Mr. Gordon got his school on the radar of the top-tier firms by enlisting a stable of big-time private-practice lawyers to join an advisory board that's now some 60 members strong. His pitch: Help Detroit Mercy improve its third-year curriculum by creating a required set of courses that simulate real-life practice." Read that article here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117988156447211549.html?mod=djemPJ

Law School Dean Hits Road to Help Students Get JobsPosted by Dan Slater

Given all the cynicism surrounding career prospects for law students at so-called third- and fourth-tier schools, we were happy when, last May, we came across Mark Gordon, the dean of University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. In a WSJ article, Law Blog colleague Amir Efrati detailed an initiative by Gordon, a Law Blog Moustache Society member, to help his students get jobs by assembling a team of big firm partners to advise the school on its third-year curriculum.

Now Gordon has turned his sights abroad, striking a deal with a Mexican law school to build a five-year joint-degree program. In 2008, Gordon will unveil a venture between his Detroit Mercy and Mexico’s El Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey. The two schools will offer students a five-year program — three in the U.S., two in Mexico — that will qualify them to practice in the States and in Mexico.

“We think there’s a market for law firms wanting to hire students that have this kind of knowledge,” Gordon said of the program, which will require participants to take several classes in Spanish.

Curious as to whether such a program would help beef up a resume, we called up David Leinwand, the hiring partner at Cleary Gottlieb to ask what he thought.

“Clearly, it’s attractive,” said Leinwand. “Among the qualities we look for, given the foreign nature of our pratice, is language ability and experience outside the U.S. . . . It will certainly enhance a student’s candidacy.” That said, Leinwand wasn’t about to open Cleary’s doors to all of the program’s graduates. “The student still needs the other qualifications that we seek.”

I probably should have posted the article under News, but since it referenced Prof. Randall, who completed extensive research on LSAT bias and other admissions requirements, I posted it here.

If I were to say anything, it appears a need still exists for some type of policy or practice to increase minority enrollment. Just as the LSAT is the only ABA approved tests schools use, AA (and a few good wo/men) is the only thing that has assisted in increasing minority enrollment.

Why? The problem is lower LSAT scores for minority students, not a result of discrimination, etc.

Why are fewer minorities enrolling into Law School? What do you see, Justice Brennan, as the issue? If the institution has a required mechanism in place that maintains the status quo, what would you suggest?

For some, it wouldn't make a difference.

Even if institutions had a totally holistic approach and it resulted in more minority acceptances, there are those who would still cry foul!!!